Dairy industry on show at annual expo

The Strzelecki Lions Club will again host the South Gippsland Dairy Expo at the Korumburra Showgrounds tomorrow and Thursday.

The club hopes to build on the success of past expos that have collectively raised more than $370,000 to inject back into community organisations.

The Strzelecki Lions Club has a Dairy Expo committee made up of volunteers and some of them are dairy farmers.

The Dairy Expo began in 2000 with the committee having a core objectives to deliver a one stop shop to local farmers, so that if they were busy, they could visit, do their business and leave. Today, the event still has the same focus. With free entry, the South Gippsland Dairy Expo provides an opportunity for members of the dairying fraternity to showcase the latest in dairy innovation and technology.

Matt Harms will be hosting a session on Wednesday, September 28 at 11am titled: Some things are worth running for…. How do I handle the elephant in the room?

“Dairying has a strong future and there are opportunities for wealth creation, equity growth and lifestyle. Are the current industry woes just a hiccup in an otherwise brighter future or are we ignoring the elephant in the room?”

Farmers can hear how a number of dairy businesses are managing the current downturn, as well as how they have weathered previous tight times.

The audience also will hear from another business directly impacted by the dairy downturn, and what they see the future in dairying being. Is it all rosy, and how do others deal with the elephant in the room.

To encourage some competitive banter amongst exhibitors and patrons the expo has introduced an inaugural gum boot throwing competition, otherwise known as the Golden Tosser Award.

Guest speaker at the expo breakfast on Thursday will be Beau Vernon whose life changed forever four years ago

A normal incident in a normal game of Aussie rules football left him with a C5-C6 quadriplegia. In an instant Beau went from a 23-year-old who never sat still, to spending eight months in hospital and looking at the prospect of spending his life in a wheelchair.

The Korumburra Rotary Club will be in charge of the kids activity pavilion including some animal pens and other free activities.

Parents and volunteers from the Poowong Kindergarten will provide catering.